Zos
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Dew Ponds?
Feb 02, 2003, 14:27
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This is a subject that's recently piqued my interest after I saw a mention of it in passing. Does anyone know if there is some kind of gazeteer of dew ponds? Is there any evidence for them being made prior to the 19th century?
Any pointers appreciated!
Z
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FourWinds
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 02, 2003, 15:01
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There is a whole host of mounds, cairns, passage tombs and things on Tallaght hill to the south west of Dublin
http://www.megalithomania.com/show_site.php?site_id=630
Just 60m from this is a dew pond - almost certainly Bronze Age if not older and part of one mother of a ritual site.
I think myself and Lissy recently discovered one near to this along with a henge:
http://www.megalithomania.com/show_site.php?site_id=469
but I'm waiting for someone to look at them before leaping to any conclusions.
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BlueGloves
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Dew Ponds
Feb 03, 2003, 08:00
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I see them but only have more questions.
If you have a pond which is watering stock, every so often you'll clean the sludge out (and it's a rich fertiliser). The only sure way to 'date' a pond is to look at the layers of deposited gunge - like tree rings - and to count backwards. Siltochronology.
If a pond were lined with stones that would be an excellent protection against those stones being reused elsewhere - in a later wall, for instance. The Stonehenge roundabout has lasted so long and there's no intrinsic reason why a pond shouldn't have lasted that long also. Maps give some small clues - if a pond is between two fields then it is probably older than that field division, for instance. The round shape is also a bit of a giveaway.
A pond at the foot of a sacred hill is probably - - - very old (and I'd better go and photograph it).
david
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BlueGloves
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I think the term 'dew pond' is only strictly applied to the type of shallow scrapes that are found in the southern downland landscapes. Neolithic originally - cows are thirsty creatures !
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Visitor
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 03, 2003, 19:59
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There's info about dew ponds at this site:
http://dewponds.com
There's only the very beginnings of a gazetteer, though, but the site is very new as yet.
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BlueGloves
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 03, 2003, 21:13
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Those are beautiful old pictures ...
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Zos
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 03, 2003, 21:57
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Thank you, all you lovely people! :O)
I really asked because I am interested in the medicinal folklore applications of dew (and variations such as rolling on a young man's grave and taking the spring air) and the name drew my attention.
Although the water in them is mainly rainwater and they're more for agricultural purposes, I can't help wondering if there is any folklore about certain ponds knocking about...
Cheers again for all your help!
Z
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pebblesfromheaven
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 03, 2003, 23:43
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Wow they are quite big, non?
What's the difference between these and, say, duck ponds?
.o0O0o.
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Reg
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 05, 2003, 12:45
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As far as I know they are lined ponds used to collect dew and rainwarter, generaly found in elevated positions - I've seen them in the peak district and the shropshire hills.
What's to say it's only animals who drank for them? Or that their use was purely practical and not ritual as well?
Here are a couple of ponds:-
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/image.php?image_id=11095
A close up of the left hand one
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/image.php?image_id=11096
And a close up of a stone
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/image.php?image_id=11097
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BlueGloves
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Re: Dew Ponds?
Feb 05, 2003, 12:50
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Lambs already !
That is a lovely pond ...
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